


Of Prats and Periwinkles

by mushroomtale, Polomonkey



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baby Dragon, Court Sorcerer Merlin, Fanart, Fluff, Hatchlings, Humor, M/M, dragon daddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 14:15:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6661831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mushroomtale/pseuds/mushroomtale, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polomonkey/pseuds/Polomonkey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's been slacking off his duties to play with the new dragon hatchlings. Arthur goes to somewhat drastic lengths to get his attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Prats and Periwinkles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [delusionsinc (ofthestars)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofthestars/gifts).



> A very happy birthday to you Hana! I hope you like this piece of absolute ridiculousness, inspired by Mushroom's equally ridiculous art! <333 Thank you for all the lovely art you do for this fandom, we're lucky to have you!
> 
> Many of my headcanons for Aithusa and Arthur's relationship were influenced by fandom's resident dragon daddy curator DeHeerKonijn, check them out [here](http://deheerkonijn.tumblr.com/tagged/aithusa) :)
> 
> Mushroom's art can also be found on Tumblr [here](http://mushroomtale-fanart.tumblr.com/post/143410831526/on-ao3-hana-happy-birthday-were-like-a-day).

Merlin can admit he might be overdoing it slightly.

It’s the sixth day in a row he’s spent with the hatchlings and he can understand why Arthur’s starting to get a little annoyed. Still there was really no need to leave such a pointed note on Merlin’s pillow this morning about appropriate division of Court Sorcerer duties. It’s not Merlin’s fault that taking care of baby dragons is much more interesting than whatever snooze fest speech Arthur wants him to attend.

Merlin knows he has to tackle the boring stuff at some point but he can’t resist sneaking away for one last day. The dragons are only freshly hatched last month after all, and they need his support. Unlike his dollopheaded husband who really should be ashamed of himself for being so jealous of some poor defenceless babies.

(Well, perhaps not completely defenceless. Part of Arthur’s ire might be due to a rather unfortunate incident involving an over-enthusiastic hatchling and the King’s right eyebrow.

It was only a little singed. Really, Arthur could be such a child about these things.)

When he strides into the cave, Kilgharrah flaps his wings lazily.

“About time, young warlock. I’ve been playing nurse maid all night.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t love it,” Merlin says cheerfully, unhooking his satchel.

Kilgharrah had taken to the role of hatchling guardian in an unexpectedly wholehearted way. In the months Merlin spent searching out eggs from across the breadth of Albion, Kilgharrah made many proclamations on the solemn and noble way he intended to raise the next generation of dragons. But it quickly transpired that Kilgharrah was less firm instructor and more benevolent grandfather when it came to his adopted offspring. After all of his dire warnings and stern promises, Kilgharrah turned out to be a hilariously lax parent. Merlin can’t count the number of times he’s walked in on the great dragon swooping a hatchling through the air, or letting another tug on his tail, or climb his snout. He once even heard Kilgharrah giggling. 

He knows Kilgharrah’s proud of their ever expanding clan and Merlin is too. It’s good for Aithusa to have other dragons to play with, and he hopes to bring home more for her. But he won’t have to worry about her running out of playmates for a while. His most recently acquired egg hatched last month and inside was…

Triplets! Merlin was worried Kilgharrah might have a heart attack for a moment. But the great dragon only raised his eyes and started muttering cryptically about blessings and prophecies and good things coming in threes.

“We must give these three auspicious names,” he’d announced. “Befitting of the burden fate will place upon their backs.”

“None of that,” Merlin had said firmly. “I don’t want you polluting the babies’ minds with all that destiny nonsense.”

Kilgharrah had been outraged.

“Have ye so little respect for the tidings of fate, young warlock?”

He was trying his best to look scary but Merlin had watched him tickle Aithusa for nearly an hour that morning so the threat was somewhat lessened.

“No prophecies!” he insisted. “Do I have to get Morgana to come down here and have that conversation again?”

At the mention of Morgana’s name, Kilgharrah cowered a little. Once Uther had died and Kilgharrah had been officially released, there was a rather awkward confrontation between him and the crown princess in which he accused her of being a murderous witch in the making and she called him a batty old lizard. Merlin had to mediate between them for quite some time and Kilgharrah did promise to go easy on the destiny stuff after that.

He’s still a little afraid of Morgana though, a fact that Merlin occasionally uses to his advantage.

Merlin compromised in the end and let Kilgharrah name two of the hatchlings. He chose Muirdris for the sleepy eyed red one and Ryu for the curious yellow one, the first to crack the egg and poke her head out.

Merlin got to name the last one, the cheeky little blue who’d tumbled out of the egg to land in a heap at Merlin’s feet. He called him Periwinkle.

Kilgharrah and Arthur were united for once in mutual disgust.

“You can’t call a dragon Periwinkle,” Arthur said, looking unreasonably offended.

“Why not?” Merlin said stubbornly. “I like periwinkles. They’re my mum’s favourite flowers.”

“Yes but, but…” Arthur spluttered.

“My dragon-kin are fearsome, powerful, and majestic creatures,” Kilgharrah intoned from above. “They are not to be named according to the tastes of your mother.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes.

“What exactly is wrong with my mum’s taste?” He said dangerously.

Arthur seemed to recognise the warning signs because he backed off a little, holding up his hands.

“No one is insulting your mother, Merlin, we just think-”

“Yeah, well, think away. I’m the dragonlord and I’ve named him now,” Merlin said, entirely unabashed to pull rank when he needed to.

In perhaps an act of desperation, Arthur scooped the newly named Periwinkle up in his arms and held him aloft.

“Look at this face, Merlin. Do you honestly think that he looks like a Peri-argh!”

It was at this point that Periwinkle singed Arthur’s eyebrow off.

“He was only playing,” Merlin pointed out as Periwinkle cooed happily from the ground while Arthur frantically beat out the (very small) fire that had started in his hair.

Arthur hasn’t been back to the dragon cave since but Merlin isn’t particularly worried. Arthur professed not to be interested in Aithusa at first either and now the two of them are thick as thieves. Aithusa adores Arthur; following him from room to room around the castle, tugging on his cloak to get his attention. The feeling is entirely mutual. Arthur orders her special food from the kitchens and takes her out to the forest to hunt and gives her shiny coins to hoard. He even takes her to training and lets her practice her fire breathing when the knights are getting unruly (it’s almost always Gwaine who falls foul of this particular punishment). He also lets her sleep on their bed occasionally, which is increasingly a challenge as Aithusa grows bigger. She’s up to the size of a large dog now and Merlin isn’t sure he won’t come home one day to find he’s been relegated to the ante-chamber and Aithusa’s taken his spot in the bed.

Really, Arthur and Kilgharrah are two indulgent peas in a pod. It’s lucky Merlin’s around to instil some discipline in his young charges.

He tries to hold onto that train of thought when all three new hatchlings swoop him at once before his satchel’s even hit the ground.

“Woah, woah,” he says, plucking Ryu and Muirdris out of the air. Periwinkle flies around his head, still a little clumsy on his wings. He’s listing to the side a bit and Merlin nudges him as he flies past.

“Try and lift your head a little more.”

Periwinkle gives a happy snort and careens blissfully into Kilgharrah’s leg.

Merlin sniggers and Kilgharrah gives him a reproachful look. 

“I assume you brought some food,” he says in a dignified manner, seemingly pretending that Periwinkle isn’t attempting to bite his ankle.

“Yep. Fish heads, guys! And Cook gave me some leftover veal and rabbit too.”

He sets Ryu and Muirdris down and starts pulling food out of his satchel. Periwinkle tumbles to a stop next to Ryu, and she snaps at him gently.

“Play nice,” Merlin says and starts throwing out the food.

Halfway through the meal, he hears a flap of wings and Aithusa flies in. She lands gracefully next to Merlin and gives him a friendly push with her nose.

“Hello Thusa, where have you been?”

She babbles something about a council meeting and then sits down next to Muirdris, opening her mouth to be fed.

Ah. The council meeting. The one that Merlin was definitely supposed to be at.

Oh well. Can’t be helped now. Merlin throws her some fish and then portions the last of the meat out. Muirdris is already yawning; she’s always the sleepiest of her siblings. But they could all do with a nap at this point, it’s well past noon.

“Come on then, back in the egg.”

To avoid any further flying accidents Merlin takes a firm hold of Periwinkle this time, and grabs Ryu too. He nods to Aithusa who picks up Muirdris in her mouth and then wags her tail happily, like she’s waiting for praise on a job well done.

“Thank you, Aithusa,” Merlin says warmly. “Pop your little sister in the egg now.”

Kilgharrah advised that baby dragons like to stay close to their eggs for at least a month or two after hatching, as a source of comfort and security. It had proven to be all too true in Aithusa’s case. Merlin should have probably weaned her away from the egg a little sooner; as it was he left it too late. She never got out of the habit of curling up inside it, and was positively devastated two months ago when she was finally too big to fit.

Arthur was able to listen to her cry for approximately 0.3 seconds before he caved and had a new egg built for her. And so Aithusa had continued to take her naps there. Now seems to be no exception; as soon as she’s safely deposited Muirdris safely inside her egg, she looks eagerly up at Merlin.

“Alright, hop in then,” Merlin says, gesturing to her new egg a few paces away. With gemstones set in the edges. Honestly, Arthur was such a soft touch.

He lays Ryu and Periwinkle in carefully on top of their already sleeping sister. Periwinkle flits about restlessly for a while and so Merlin lets him play with his neckerchief until he settles.

Finally, all four young dragons are asleep. Merlin lets out a small sigh of contentment and waves Kilgharrah off on his afternoon hunt. He can’t help feeling nostalgic when he looks down on the tiny babies curled up together in one egg and Aithusa snoozing peacefully in the other. He remembers when she was that tiny. He used to carry her round on his back and she’d cling to him with her little talons. And once when she was sick and shivery he brought her into the castle and Arthur had a cradle put in their room so they could tend to her all night.

Arthur. Merlin feels a little bad when he thinks how he abandoned his husband to the drudgeries of the council. He should probably make a bit more of an effort with the less exciting side of being Court Sorcerer. He decides when Kilgharrah gets back, he’ll return to the castle and do something nice for Arthur. Bring him dinner or conjure him a nice hot bath. 

He wanders over to Aithusa’s old shell, still sitting in the shadows. It’s hard to believe she was ever small enough to fit in it. He’ll have to remind Arthur of how they used to put her down for a nap in the early days and everything was so peaceful and quiet and still and-

“A-HA!”

“Argh!”

Merlin’s legs give way with shock and he promptly falls on his backside. Arthur is suddenly standing in front of him, looking for all the world like he just hatched from an egg himself.

“You… you… GINORMOUS PRAT!” Merlin sputters.

“That’s King Ginormous Prat to you, Merlin,” Arthur smirks.

“Were you honestly hiding behind that shell?”

Arthur dusts some fragments off his knees.

“Yes. It seemed the only way to get your attention was to pretend to be one of those hatchlings you love so much.”

Merlin gapes.

“I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous in my life!”

“Well, you clearly didn’t hear Gwaine’s proposal this morning for Free Ale Fridays. Oh no wait, you wouldn’t have heard it, because you weren’t in the council meeting!”

Oops. Merlin gives a sort of guilty shrug.

“Sorry?” he says. “I may have been a little distracted recently.”

Arthur’s face softens.

“Yes, well, I suppose you wouldn’t be the man I married if you didn’t constantly defy my authority at every turn.”

He reaches a hand down and pulls Merlin to his feet.

“But you’re coming to the next meeting, no ifs or buts. If I have to listen to Geoffrey drone through thirty years of crop reports then so do you.”

“Fair enough,” Merlin says, pressing a kiss to Arthur’s cheek.

He looks wistfully over at the sleeping babies.

“I suppose we should go now.”

Arthur harrumphs slightly.

“Actually, I may have told my advisers I was taking the afternoon off and was not to be disturbed.”

“Why?”

“Well these hatchlings need to learn how to hunt, don’t they?” he says superciliously. “I’m not having Kilgharrah teach them his sloppy techniques. They should learn from a pro like me.”

Merlin grins.

“You want to take the babies out?”

“Yes. Just keep the little fireball out of breathing distance. Gwaine’s comments about my eyebrow have been most unkind.”

Arthur looks a little startled when Merlin flings his arms around his neck.

“Oh Gods, you’re not getting emotional are you? You know you’re not actually their mother, right?”

But he grips Merlin tight.

“Says you,” Merlin retorts. “You’ve imprinted on Aithusa like she was a baby duckling.”

“Aithusa recognises my superior leadership,” Arthur says grandly. “She looked at you and she looked at me, and the choice was obvious.”

“Whatever you say, dear,” Merlin says calmly, and then whistles through his teeth.

“What’s that sound? Why are you-argh!”

Right on cue, Periwinkle flies up out of his egg and crashes into Arthur’s head.

“Aithusa taught him that,” Merlin says smugly.

Arthur groans, plucking Periwinkle off his head and holding him at arm’s length.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” he says to the little dragon. “You remind me a lot of an idiotic human I know.”

“Oi!”

Arthur laughs.

“Come on then, little one, up on my shoulder.”

And to Merlin’s great surprise, Periwinkle obeys.

“Right then, are we all here?”

Merlin scoops Ryu and Muirdris up and tucks one under either arm. Aithusa’s flown round to hover between them, chattering excitedly.

“Yes, we are going hunting Thusa. No, Merlin’s not allowed a crossbow after what happened last time.”

Merlin pokes Arthur in the side.

“Stop making me look bad in front of the kids.”

Arthur laughs.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, love.”

Then he takes Merlin by the hand and they all set off to the forest. An odd little family, but a family nonetheless.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Go check out Hana's amazing art blog [here](http://delusionsinc.tumblr.com/)


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